Local biodiversity to be part of primary syllabus curriculum from primary level

National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has selected Kerala as an incubator for a proposal to weave in local level biodiversity registry in the curriculum from the primary school level.

| TNN | Jul 2, 2013, 07.12 AM IST

KOCHI: National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has selected Kerala as an incubator for a proposal to weave in local level biodiversity registry in the curriculum from the primary school level.

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has already taken up the proposal with the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), which is currently in the process of revising the school curriculum.

The programme will be replicated in other parts of the country based on the experiences in Kerala. Community participation is critical for the success of any initiative to conserve biodiversity in a country like India which has varied biodiversity assets. Introducing biodiversity in school syllabus would contribute to creation of a generation, which will own up the nature and environment around it, NBA chairman Balakrishna Pisupati told TOI here.

The programme seeks to sensitise students from the early level about the biodiversity assets in their areas so that they will in future become champions of the initiatives to conserve them, said KSBB chairman Oommen V Oommen.

Oommen, who is also a member of the curriculum revision committee, said the panel would take a final decision on this in the next few days.

He said the KSBB has approved panchayat biodiversity registers (PBRs) prepared by nearly 670 panchayats across the state. The proposal is to expose the students to the biodiversity assets available in their areas and these PBRs will form a sort of reference books for the exercises, Oommen added.

"Kerala has drastically advanced compared to other states in preparing the PBRs and that is why we are keen to evaluate the success and challenges in the implementation of the proposal to make local biodiversity part of the curriculum," Pisupati said.

The KSBB and NBA are keen to ensure that biodiversity education is not turned into a dull exam-oriented course. Biodiversity will be taught through an "across the curriculum" strategy where its multiple dimensions will be weaved in different subjects, including mathematics and English, apart from science, Oommen said.

For example, preparation of reports on nature and environment can be taught in language classes. Collecting and graphic representation of biodiversity information, gathering, recording and interpreting data about the environment can be incorporated in the mathematics syllabus, he added.

Kochi; National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has selected Kerala as an incubator for a proposal to weave in local level biodiversity registry in the curriculum from the primary school level.

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has already taken up the proposal with the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) which is currently in the process of revising the school curriculum.

The programme will be replicated in other parts of the country based on the experiences in Kerala. Community participation is critical for the success of any initiative to conserve biodiversity in a country like which has varied biodiversity assets. Introducing biodiversity in school syllabus would contribute to creation of generation who will own up the nature and environment around them , Balakrishna Pisupati, Chairman NBA told TOI Here.

The programme seeks to sensitise the students from the early level about the biodiversity assets in their areas so that they will in I future become champions of the initiatives to conserve them, said Prof. Oommen V Oommen, Chairman of the KSBB said.

Prof Oommen, who is also a member of the curriculum revision committee said the committee would take a final decision on this in the next few days.

He said the KSBB has approved panchayat biodiversity registers (PBRs) prepared by nearly 670 panchayats across the state. The proposal is to expose the students to the biodiversity assets available in their areas and these PBRs will form a sort of reference books for the exercises, Prof Oommen said.

Kerala has drastically advanced compared to other states in preparing the PBRs and that is why we are keen to success and challenges in the implementation of the proposal to make local biodiversity part of the curriculum, Pisupati said.

The KSBB and NBA are keen to ensure that biodiversity education is not turned into dull exam-oriented course. Biodiversity will be taught through an across the curriculum'' strategy where its multiple dimensions will be weaved in different subjects including mathematics and English, apart from science, Prof Oommen said.

For example preparation of reports on nature and environment can be taught in language classes. The collection and graphic representation of biodiversity information, collecting, recording and interpreting data about the environment can be incorporated in the mathematics syllabus, he said.

RELATED

From around the web

More from The Times of India

Recommended By Colombia

From Around the Web

More From The Times of India

Recommended By Colombia

Comments

Characters Remaining: 3000

OR PROCEED WITHOUT REGISTRATION

Share on Twitter

SIGN IN WITH

FacebookGoogleEmail

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that GST was actually conceptualized by the UPA govt under Manmohan Singh and the BJP then stalled this bill for 7 long years. Rahul, further said that the Congress will not allow the GST bill to pass till there is a cap on taxes.